Angels Love Cookies

Today, I was trying to get a picture of Rae in her angel costume for an art project we were preparing to make. In the beginning she wanted nothing to do with it. The progression of pictures I took is hilarious to me, and I thought some of you might get a kick out of it, too.

Little Miss Grumpy Angel not wanting to have her picture taken
Pouting...
...pretending to be shy...
...and even giving me the evil glare.
So, like any good, *COUGHdesperateCOUGH* parent would, I offered her a cookie.
She considers her options and weighs the cost.
Finally she reaches a decision. She will accept the cookie.
What's that I detect? Happiness?
Can a single cookie really do all of this?
Sweet bliss! Sweet, crunchy, thin mint heavenly bliss!
And THAT, dear readers, is how angels are made.
Now if you'll excuse her, she has a cookie to eat.

Away in a Manger

Pray for the Duggars

Many of you may have heard -- and perhaps some of you have not heard -- that the Duggar Family (of TLC's reality show 18 Kids and Counting) welcomed their 19th child prematurely this week. Josie Brooklyn Duggar was born at only 25 weeks gestation, weighing only 1 pound, 6 ounces and is in stable condition.

It seems everybody has their opinion about this family. You either love them or think they are crazy. I personally love them. I think they are a remarkable example of successful marriage and child raising. Jim Bob and Michelle are still deeply in love, and their children are happy, well-behaved, respectful, talented, sociable, helpful, hard-working, and kind.

I can't imagine what kind of criticism this family is facing after this premature birth. People already rail on them for continuing to get pregnant "at her age," etc. What most people probably don't know is that (from what I've gathered) Josie's premature birth didn't have anything to do with Michelle's uterus being weak or anything like that. She had been hospitalized for gall stones, and those complications led to preeclampsia. But people are people, and they will form their assumptions and make their accusations however and whenever they want.

I just want to encourage everyone to pray for this amazing family and for tiny little Josie. They are a prime example of faith under fire, and I'm sure it's discouraging to have the world criticizing you. But in the end, Jim Bob & Michelle will be able to look at their beautiful family and hear "Well done, good and faithful servants." And that's the only opinion that matters.

I just hope

"Not Me" Monday

It's another "Not Me" Monday, and here are just a few things I didn't do this week. You can head over to MckMama's blog to check out other people's "Not Me's" too.

This week, I did NOT clean the toilet with Windex just because I already had it out to clean the glass.

I did NOT throw away "The Wiggles" sing along book that my daughters love (but drives me insane) because the batteries died and there was no way on God's earth I was going to replace them.

Nor did I have my 2-year-old pee into a 5 gallon bucket because we were in the workshop and there wasn't enough time to make it into the house.

And if a friend came over to visit and forgot her daughter's adorable pink knit hat at my house, I would put it in a safe place so that it wouldn't get lost until I could return it. I would never use it on a daily basis all week long because it looked adorable on my 1-year-old.

(she is adorable, though, isn't she?)

And finally, I did NOT, NOT, NOT agree to letting my husband get a THIRD dog for hunting. That would be insane. I would have more dogs than kids. No way. Never.

What didn't you do this week?

Looking for a GOOD reason

I've admitted it multiple times in the past, and I'm admitting it again. There are a good handful of days each month where I can simply find no good reason to get out of my pajamas. Yesterday was one of them. Today I could have gone for a two-day record, but I didn't want to gross people out.

It's not that I just love my pajamas so much that I never want to get out of them. They are not silky or satiny; they're not soft flannel or footie pajamas or anything special. Just some sweatpants and a hoodie.

My problem is that I just can't think of a GOOD reason to change out of them. Why should I? Why bother? I have nowhere to go. My kids don't care.

Now don't get me wrong. Most days I actually do get dressed and put myself together. It may not happen until Ruby's first nap, but I won't usually go the entire day in my PJ's. But I only do that because I feel like I have to; like it's expected of a normal, functioning person to get dressed each day. But some days, that's simply not enough. I need a really, really good reason.

I've heard all of the "reasons" why I should before, and none of them are convincing to me. The most common is that getting dressed will get me motivated for my day.

Wrong. Coffee gets me motivated for my day. My kids waking up giggly gets me motivated for my day. Getting dressed only serves to make me less comfortable than I was in my PJ's and generate more laundry for me to wash.

Getting up early to take a shower in the morning might help get me motivated for my day, but that just doesn't work. Here is what happens.

If I get up early, before the kids rouse, to shower, read, eat breakfast, and mentally prepare myself for the day, JP will inevitably be miraculously motivated to do the same thing. Once he is awake, he will begin to make his morning man noises. You know what I'm talking about. The hacking, the snorting, the de-phlegming, the brushing-the-very-back-of-your-tongue choking...it is a guarantee. These noises will unavoidably wake up the two munchkins and I'll be right back where I started, only with a half hour less sleep than I would have had if I just stayed in bed.

So no, getting dressed does not help me get motivated for my day.

I've also heard that getting dressed will make me feel better about myself and cause me to have a more positive attitude. I could see this being true -- when I was a newlywed, 10 pounds lighter, and everything I put on looked cute as a button! When I worked in the corporate world, dressing up actually did make me feel good about myself. But I'm a mom now. I don't wear cute suits, stylish shirts or even heels anymore that often. I wear jeans, long-sleeved T-shirts, sweatshirts, fleeces, tank tops -- you know, stuff that is semi-comfortable and doesn't have to be dry cleaned if my one-year-old rubs her snotty nose all over my shoulder.

So no, getting dressed doesn't actually make me feel better about myself anymore either. Maybe if I were to get off of what I affectionately refer to as the "fat lard diet" and drop those 10 pounds I'd be a little more excited to get dressed. But that hasn't happened so far.

So what, then? What's the good reason? Why should I change out of my pajamas?

I think I've come up with one reason. Just one. (Well, maybe two. Reason #2 could be for JP's sake. Staying in my PJ's is no way to get to baby #3!) But really it just comes down to one. It's a pretty big one, though.

1Cr 10:31

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or get dressed [Didn't know that was in there, did you?] or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

I guess when I stay in my pajamas all day, I'm not doing that to the glory of God. I guess I'm doing that to the glory of comfort and laziness. And I guess if I were to get dressed it would have to be to His glory, since there's really no other good reason. So I guess the next time I have an all-day slumber party, you all should hold me accountable to what I just wrote!

Not Me! Monday

I've decided to participate (from time to time) in a fun blog carnival started by one of my new favorite bloggers, MckMama. It's called "Not Me! Monday," and it goes a little something like this:


Today, I did NOT stay in my pajamas all day long, NOR did I go all day without brushing my teeth until we went to Cabela's at 6:30 pm. I most certainly did NOT actually go to Cabela's IN my pajamas (covered by my coat, of course) and wearing no bra nor underwear. That would just be trashy.

Today, I did NOT allow my 2-year-old to watch the new Christmas Dora episode more than once, and certainly not three or four times.

And I absolutely did NOT completely undress my 1-year-old at meal time simply to avoid having to find a bib to protect her shirt and lap from mac and cheese mush. And when she spilled shredded cheese all over the floor, I didn't just leave it there knowing the dogs would get it once they came inside. That's just lazy.

How about you? What didn't you do today?

Who are You?

**UPDATED** As of 8:22 am on Saturday, 31 more people have visited the blog today alone, only 2 of whom are return visitors. C'mon, people! 31 of you have visited today and I only have 3 comments? Please do leave a comment!

I recently added a stat counter to this blog to track how many hits it is getting each day. I was kind of surprised! As of 11:35 pm today, this blog has had 37 unique visitors check it today. I guess since there are only about 4 or 5 of you who comment on a regular basis, I just assumed there were only a handful more than that who even checked it!

So please, do me a favor: If you check this blog even on a semi-regular basis, please leave a comment on this post. It doesn't matter if you heard about the blog from my mother-in-law's cousin's x-boyfriends sister's friend and I don't even know who you are. I'd just like to get an idea of who is reading! Any comment will do. Let's be friends. :)

Thanks! Audra

House Update

For those of you who have been asking, we do have a house update!
We have an offer accepted and a signed purchase agreement on this house. The USDA has approved it (that's where things fell apart on the other house) and we are now only awaiting a formal inspection.
It is located in Princeton, MN. This is the very far edge of the area we were searching in, but it's not SO bad.
It sits on five acres, surrounded on three sides by majestic pines. See that little shed thing in the background? It's a playhouse!

It's a 3 bed, 2 bath, 3-level split. This photo was taken from the lofted living room space, one floor up from the kitchen and dining room.And JP's favorite part? The massive, insulated and heated pole barn with it's own separate driveway.

If everything goes through, this house will be a gift from God and a testimony to His never ending faithfulness to us, even through our mistakes. Yes, it is a hike to get there. Yes, I'll have to make a stated effort to get out of my comfortable bubble and connect with people in the community. But this is exactly the sort of place we want to raise our kids. And given the situation we were in just two short years ago, it's a blessing that we never would have thought possible.

So please keep the prayers coming that the inspection goes well and that we can close on this sucker as quickly as possible. We have to be out of our place by February 1st.

God is good, all the time.

Christmas Time is Here

This is one of the first years in a very long, long time that I felt like the world has taken too long getting to Christmas.

Usually, I'm shocked at how early the Christmas displays go up at the mall or how early the radio stations start caroling. Usually I start seeing lights go up before Halloween, and cards start arriving in the mailbox before Thanksgiving even rolls around.

But this year I found myself asking, "What's the hold-up?"

Maybe I just didn't see it. Maybe it was all around me, and I simply missed it. Point is, I DID miss it, and I wanted it to come sooner than ever. I found myself checking the mailbox, then worrying that maybe people didn't have our new address, even though we were here for Christmas LAST year. I would check the radio stations and be bummed when the carols weren't playing yet. I missed it!

But that's all in the past, now, because Christmas is upon us, and in full swing! I got our Christmas decorations up this week (Note: Yes, there are 5 stockings, but that is not a hint. We have a stocking for the dogs). I love turning the lights down at night and letting the Christmas lights sparkle in the room. I love the way Ruby notices them out of the corner of her eye and never fails to point to them, look at me, and say, "deh?" I love the way Rae asks me to tell her the story about baby Jesus over and over again.

I've gotten cards in the mail the last two days, and I've started a collage on my kitchen wall. Faces to remember and be thankful for every day. My cards are stuffed and awaiting stamps. Gifts for the family have been ordered and arrived safely. A toy nativity set was purchased to save my poor porcelain set from further abuse (worth every penny). I have cider in the fridge for sipping in the evening, and those oh-so-fattening but oh-so-good Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes that I don't allow the girls to eat. No, no. Those are for Mommy. All we need is some snow on the ground. Not a lot. Just enough to cover the browns and grays of another withering autumn.

I'm thankful for Christmas. I'm thankful that I still tear up when I explain to Rae that the same, helpless baby who lay the manger would grow up to save us all. I'm thankful that she gets it. I'm thankful that she doesn't yet associate Christmas with presents, but instead with a baby, some shepherds, some wise men. I'm thankful that my brother and his family get to come home, and that my entire family will be together again this Christmas. More than one miracle will be celebrated that day.

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name

Unabashed Plug

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Quotable

Mom: "Rae, stop whining. That's what babies do."
Rae: "No, Mom, that's what BIG girls do."
Mom: "No, big girls use their words."
Rae: "Mom, no comprendo."

Recently

Ruby learns to eat with a fork

JP gets another pheasant. Rae gets excited.

Rae takes up photography

This one's a little better. M is for Mommy.

JP hunts at a game farm and brings home more birds.

Rae counts them. In English and Spanish.

Ruby practices her fine motor skills.

I love my life.

Letters from Chip, Part 2

Tuesday, February 25, 1941

"Dear Folks:
Just a line to let you know that the army isn't a half-bad outfit to live in. The screws are tightening down aplenty both in ground school and on the flying line, but it's still a great life, and don't anybody try to tell you different.
...These instructors are the best that can be had, and believe me, they know their business inside out. They stay right up in the front cockpit until you can fly as good, or nearly as good, as they can. I was up again today, my fourth time, and am learning more and more every day. We only fly when the sky is clear -- never fly when it's raining. We have missed about four days due to fog and murky weather so far.
...All the gang from Wisconsin really hooped it up over Wisconsin's win over Indiana last night. We follow the sports pages of the Chicago Tribune like a bunch of hawks.
Thanks loads for the prayer and the cards. The typhoid shots made every body's arm sore, but I didn't get sick at all from it. A lot of the boys did! Must close now with love, regards -- and don't worry!
Chip"

February 28, 1941

"Dear Mom and Dad:
I've finally taken time out to get off a letter long overdue.
...We are settled pretty comfortably now. Dellas has the house cleaned to a sparkle, and we are entertaining on Sunday evening. I am barred from snooping around in the kitchen while Dellas fixes supper, because she is set and determined to surprise me -- every meal. Been doing a right good job too. In fact, I have been so pleased with the home cooking that I help with the dishes without being asked. I am gradually working her into the idea of buttermilk soup.
...Dellas comes to the field on the nights when I am "on alert" and we visit at the officers club together with the rest of the married officers, or go to a show.
We are very happy together. For me, especially, it has destroyed all the old lonesomeness. If only I can get her to make buttermilk soup.
Love to all,
Chip"

Tuesday, March 4, 1941, 8:00 pm

"Dear Mother and Dad:
Just a few more days and I'll be soloing. I hope you won't worry, because our instructors won't let us solo until they are absolutely sure we can do it. Today we practiced landings and take-offs, which is the sign that always comes just before our solo flight. We've been working hard, all of us, and you can notice the strain on the men at the end of the day. We are busy every minute from 5:15 am to 9:45 pm, and when it's over, you're ready for bed, and no doubt about it.
Some of the more advanced students -- those who have had previous flying instruction -- soloed today. There were five of them -- and each one was shoved under a cold shower, clothes and all, which is a flying cadet tradition. After a man's first solo, he gets ducked. Then he rips the piece of white adhesive tape off the top of his helmet, to signify that he is no longer a fledgling. It's all a great ceremony, full of horseplay, and I believe the instructor gets just as much of a thrill out of it as the student does.
Mrs. Pickering sent me a copy of the Dane County News in which she printed my first letter home. If I would have known that, I might have polished it up a big. I'd rather that she didn't print any of my personal correspondence -- just makes me feel uneasy is all. I blush easily, you know. Which reminds me -- you should see my freckles. This Oklahoma sun and wind is really bringing them out in fine shape.
Must close now, and get to my studies.
Love to all, "
Chip"

House Hunt Update

For those of you who haven't heard, we had an offer accepted on a house in Buffalo, MN. The offer is pending an inspection by the USDA, who has to approve any home we buy. If they approve it, we are set for a closing date of January 6, 2010. If they don't approve it, we have a back-up plan house in Monticello with an offer all prepared and ready to be submitted.
Our landlord found a new renter starting February 1st, so the clock is now ticking for us to find a place.
Please keep praying that God would open and close doors as necessary to lead us to the house where He wants us to be. We know He will!

House Hunt

For those of you who don't know, JP and I are on the house hunt again. We have been renting our current place for a year now, and our lease is up in December. We have loved living here; it is an amazing place. We are spoiled to the space we have here, and I personally have fallen in love with living in a two-story house. But at the same time, we really do not like renting. It's part of our nature to want to fix things up and improve things, but since we don't own this place, it's not worth our investment of time or money. It's very frustrating for a handyman!
One day when JP was listening to talk radio, he heard some real estate guys talking about a program through the USDA that helps people buy homes in rural areas. It sounded right up our alley, so JP called in and got some more information.
Long story short, we qualified for the program and have been approved for a loan. We are now on a USDA-appointed timeline to find a home and get an offer approved. We've been looking at houses for the past couple of weeks, and they are all starting to blur together in my head.
The only downside to this program is that they are fairly picky about the house you get. They come and inspect it themselves to make sure it is up to their standards. We would be happy getting a fixer-upper, but they don't really want us to do that for some reason.
Another downside is that because they only give us a certain amount of time to find a house, we have to exclude the short sales and foreclosures in our searches. The banks simply take too long to respond to offers. It could be months before they even look at your offer!
Anyhow, we'd appreciate your prayers as we move forward with this house hunt. We know God will lead us to the right house at the right time. It will definitely be good to own again!

Letters from Chip, Part 1

Muskogee, Oklahoma. February 14, 1941. 7:20 pm.

"Dear Folks,
Just a line to let you know I'm safe and sound and feeling great. The air down here is as clear as a bell, and believe me, we're getting plenty of it in our lungs.
...We had a great trip -- a private pullman coach all the way. We arrived last night at 1 a.m. -- or was that today? We climbed right into bed -- and a good bed, which we make-up ourselves every morning.
...We wear ordinary shoes -- the old pair I brought along and our wool socks. We have been given coveralls, a heavy sweater, and a leather sheepskin-lined jacket and cap. Our uniforms will be here in about a week. We were measured for them today.
...The food, believe it or not, is swell. Not near as good as mom's of course, but better than anything you could find in a restaurant. We are served cafeteria style and can have as many helpings per meal as we wish. I had a pint of milk for every meal and am going to stick to it.
There are about 150 men in our class and about 90 upperclassmen. Lower classmen are known as dodo birds. They estimate that 45% of our class, about 60 men, will 'wash out' during the first five weeks.
Must close now, as we have a meeting coming up in five minutes. Will write more, soon.
Love,
Chip

P.S. All flying cadets must write a letter home at least once a week or be forced to do 'gig.' (That's walking steady for one hour.)"

February 18, 1941.

"Dear Folks,
Am terribly sorry I didn't get a chance to write another letter sooner, but we've been 'on the hop' every minute here, and it just hasn't been possible. I'm working on the cadet publication here -- 'The Gosport" [Note from Audra: forgive me if this title is incorrect; the writing is unclear] and am also writing 'propaganda' articles for various newspapers -- the last duty by order of the commanding officer.
...At the last writing, there were some 240 men here. There are about 205 now. Every day, three or five men 'wash out,' not because of scholastic requirements, but because they just can't fly good enough. There are 60 men left in the upper class out of 137. And another 25 or 30 of these will 'wash out' within the next month before they get a chance to go to Randolph.
This is the heart of the dust bowl down here, and the land is dead dry and flat as a table top. When the wind blows, it lifts a fine cloud of dust about a mile in the air and it looks like a heavy fog for the rest of the day.
...In three days we've learned to snap to attention, salute, and execute every marching movement in the books. It's a great life, and tough. Believe me, they make you toe the mark. I wish you could see the way I can make up a bed and put a locker in order. I can't believe it myself.
...Must close now to get to my studies. Will write again the first chance I get. Don't worry about me -- I'm doing great.
Love,
Chip"

Letters from Chip, An Introduction

I'd like to start doing something new on this blog on occasion.
I've recently started reading a collection of letters that I am so in love with right now, I just have to share them. They were penned by a man named Carlos Bowar, or "Chip." Beginning in 1941 and ending in December 1945, they were written to friends and family back home as he trained to be, and served as, a bombardier pilot in the U.S. Air Force. He would eventually patrol the eastern coast of the U.S. and South America searching for enemy submarines, and earn various decorations for his fine work.
According to his wife's notes at the beginning of the collection,

The young 22 year old Chip was truly involved in high adventure with being admitted to the Flying Cadets. He was desperately anxious to not 'wash out.' Few people, perhaps 10 percent, had been in an aeroplane in 1941.
The great love and concern within the Bowar family is obvious. You will read of the daily inconveniences of food rationing, gasoline, clothing, housing shortages.
In Oct. 1941, the 76th Bombardment Quadron was formed at Gunter in Idaho. All personnel remained intact for two plus years. Life-time friendships were formed. They called themselves the 'bastard squadron' because in those fearful times they were on the move constantly.

And in an article in the Philgazette in December 1954:

It was not until after the war and removal of censorship restrictions, that the dangers of his missions were revealed.

What makes these letter all the more fascinating is that Chip is JP's grandfather. I never had the privilege of knowing him, but I feel like I am getting to know him through these letters. I even feel as though I have something in common with him, because he was also a journalist and talks about writing numerous articles for various papers during his time in the service.
The Bowar family as a whole were called a "champion war service family" in local papers, because all seven members of the family, including Chip's sister Maxine, served in the military in one way or another.
Chip's wife, Della Mae Bowar, or just "Grandma Dellas" to us, has given me permission to share pieces of this wonderful collection with you. Many of them have already been published in his hometown paper 60+ year ago. Chip didn't even know his sister was collecting and saving all of his letters over the years. Who knows what Chip would think if he knew his "chatty notes" were being shared on the internet more than half a century later. It was such a different time back then.

So this is his story, and mine, from January 1941 to December 1945. Another world, another time, but a wonderful life with Chip. Dellas

Chip and Dellas on their wedding day, February 14, 1942

Lefse

Last week I had the great honor of learning how to make homemade potato lefse with G & Bompa. It is a tradition they have been maintaining for years, and I'm only sorry it took me this long to join in on the fun!
These guys start at the crack of dawn -- I haven't been up and out of the house that early in a long, long time. I won't go into all the details of how lefse is made, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised at how simple and rewarding it is! The secret is mastering the art of using the lefse sticks, and according to Bompa (the reigning champion), I guess I didn't do all that bad!
This was the second year that they have held their lefse-making day without the loving help of Grandma Arlene, Bompa's mom. She was the master, and I'm so very happy to now be able to carry on the lefse tradition in our family. As soon as the girls are old enough to roll the ingredients into balls, we'll teach them, too.

G prepares the potato mixture.

Bompa demonstrates the proper flipping technique

My first piece of lefse!
View more photos here.

JP's First Kill

JP has taken up hunting this year. He and his old buddy Jamie have been going out quite a bit lately, but hadn't brought home anything until today.
He's proud of his duck, and I'm proud of him! The guys got it all cleaned up, and the meat is in our freezer. Duck is supposed to be pretty good, although I've never tried it. I do have a duck recipe, though, so I guess I'll be trying it out soon!

View more photos here

Rae Rae

I wanted to take a minute to brag on our sweet Rae Rae. Every day I am blown away by how smart, thoughtful, funny and helpful she is. Here are just a few things that have stuck out to me lately.

• At the age of two she completes a number various chores around the house. She can feed the dogs, clean the windows & mirrors, dust, clean up her toys, swiffer the kitchen floor, turn off lights, help with laundry, and help with Ruby, among other things.
• She can correctly identify the letters M, R, O, X , B and sometimes A. That may not seem like much, but I am impressed!
• She loves to pretend to be a mommy. She takes wonderful care of her dolls and tucks them in every night before she goes to bed. She also loves to dress up and "put on makeup" with me. Sometimes that backfires (see picture below).

• She is very polite (please, thank you, excuse me, etc.), kind and encouraging. The other day, after a looooong day, we were snuggling and she looked at me and said, "Mommy, I'm so glad you're always here at home with us." When JP's truck broke down, she told him, "Don't worry, Daddy. I can help you fix your truck. We can do it together!" Talk about making it all worth it!

I could go on and on about her and all the cute things she says and does. God fashioned her to fit perfectly into our hearts, and the place she holds there is far beyond precious. Thank you, Jesus, for our amazing, adorable first child!

Weekend in Voyager

This past weekend, we made a 2-hour hike to Danbury, WI and spent two nights at JP's grandparents home. They keep a summer home there, tucked into the beautiful woods in a community known as Voyager Village. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking. It was autumn's paradise, the maples competing with the oaks for the most brilliant colors.
Quarters were tight. We went up with JP's parents, Ava and the twins. Four adults and five kids under the age of three were crammed into a one bedroom house. Our family stayed in the bedroom upstairs, and everybody else slept in a cement brick den area in the basement. But the memories and the scenery were well worth it! Ava & Rae enjoyed going for walks on the trail behind the house, playing at the park, and swimming in the indoor pool. We also made a trip to the pumpkin patch. I love autumn, and I'm thankful it returned at least for this one weekend so we could enjoy it!

View more photos here!

October 16, 2004

Five years ago today, I said, "Yes!"
And I'm so glad I did!

Revisiting the spot where he proposed on our honeymoon, Taylor's Falls.

Seasonal Dyslexia

We are experiencing a case of seasonal dyslexia here in Minnesota. We're supposed to be at the peak of fall, but instead the snow has come. Trees with green leaves in fields of white. It's very confusing.I almost cried when it first snowed. But today, after the second snowfall, I'm feeling more at peace with it. The flakes fell so softly and peacefully this morning, it was hard not to enjoy it. And with the promise of more fall-like weather ahead, I can accept this early taste of winter.

Nobody was more excited in our household than Rae. She is rediscovering a world of snowballs, snow angels, and snowmen. Here is our little snowman. She is so proud of him, and as he melts she continues to build him back up, packing snow here and packing snow there.

Ruby's 1-year Stats

Ruby finally had her 1-year checkup today. She was 22 pounds (70th percentile) and 30 3/4 inches (97th percentile). The funny thing is that she didn't grow in length at all from her 9 month appointment. Last time she was off the charts; this time she was 97th percentile. She is walking everywhere now, and is very happy about it.
Israel has a new favorite activity that she plays every day now. Every morning she "wakes up" her dolls and puts them in their "seats" in the "car." In reality, this consists of her taking them off the shelves and lining them up in rows next to each other on the steps. Every day she picks a new place to which they will journey. Popular destinations are Ava's house and Elijah's house. Sometimes it's the library, McDonalds, etc.
The dolls stay on the steps all day for us to trip over, then at bedtime Rae tucks them all in to their respective sleeping quarters. She's a good little mommy to all of them.

Ruby Can Walk!

Ruby has been able to take a few steps here and there for a couple weeks now, but on her birthday, she started walking in longer segments and with more control. I wasn't able to catch a good example on camera, so this is all you get for now!